As Canada's business and financial capital, Toronto offers businesses strong development prospects with a sturdy and diverse economy. Toronto is the preferred location for many large industries, with more than half of Canada's largest companies headquartered in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA).
As a business powerhouse, Toronto provides 10% of the country's gross domestic product and is one of the most business-friendly cities in the world. Leading research universities and technical colleges within the city contribute to a large, highly educated labour pool of approximately 4.3 million people. Toronto's life and health sciences industry employs 40,000 professionals and attracts over 1 billion dollars in research.
Toronto is in the centre of the GTA's major transportation routes. The Toronto subway system is the mainstay of the city's public transportation network. Vital highways connect the city to Barrie, Oshawa, Hamilton, and Niagara. Air travel and shipping is convenient with the Billy Bishop Airport and Downsview Airport within Toronto, and the Toronto Pearson Airport in Mississauga. VIA Rail, Canadian Pacific, and CN Rail provide travel and shipping, while the Port of Toronto transports over 2.2 million metric tons of cargo per year.